Beauty brands need packaging that protect and enable the formula, fit the brand and bring differentiation.
Considering this triple requirement as early as possible is the focus of the new department of Design & Advanced Technologies at Quadpack Industries. Dedicated to proactive research into new trends, product ideas, techniques and materials, it aims to work alongside brands and contract manufacturers during the creation of their new formulations.
“Packaging should be considered during the development phase of a new formula,” says Jeremy Garrard, Director of the new department. “Too often, packaging comes after formulation. However, early involvement of the packaging provider can have far-reaching benefits. Such a collaboration will ensure that the product is delivered in the optimal way and might bring to light new ways to add value technically, as well as aesthetically. We aim to dream up ideas that can lead change in the market, distilling trends that in turn can trigger new product ideas.”
Key themes that drive the new department’s work include time to market and sustainable packaging. Garrard’s team is looking into smart modular designs that can accelerate lead times, as brands face increasing pressure to launch new products to market in record time. As part of a cross-departmental team, it is also investigating new materials and methodologies to deliver solutions that respect brand requirements as well as the environment. Both themes reinforce the need for early consideration of packaging in a new beauty product’s conception.
Garrard heads a team of designers across Europe, dedicated to the embryonic stage of package design. Acting as an ‘ideas factory’, the department tracks macro trends, drawing inspiration from various sectors like architecture and fashion, and develops these into innovative product ideas for beauty brands. Its Trend Directive – published once a year and presented to selected clients during one-to-one sessions – provides ideas that can be the basis of package designs built on real market tendencies and are coherent with brand stories and messages.
Concept visualisation is offered through renders and prototypes, produced using the latest 3D technologies. These services enable clients to physically experience ideas that have been developed and accelerate validation and overall development time.
Working with Quadpack’s Skincare, Make-Up and Fragrance Category Managers, and collaborating with academia and industry associations, Garrard’s department offers a holistic service that draws from the broadest scope of knowledge. Garrard says: “What we ultimately hope for is that co-development becomes standard practice. We want to bring the sum of our knowledge – of the market, trends, design and manufacture – to the drawing table of the beauty formulators. Our combined expertise could unleash new visions and lead us to new frontiers.”
